CARICOM | CSME given new lifeline at 2-day meeting in Port-of-Spain

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad, December 5, 2018 - The CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) has been given a lifeline. This follows recommendations from a special two-day meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community, called to deal exclusively with the regional grouping's flagship project, the CSME, at Port of Spain, Trinidad.

The declaration issued at the end of yesterday's meeting, outlined a raft of recommendations designed to give functionality to the CSME by including the region's private sector and labour organization as part of its formal mechanism and to deepen cooperation and collaboration between the Secretariats of CARICOM and the OECS to avoid duplication and maximise the utility of scarce resources.

The Conference has committed to examine the re-introduction of the single domestic space for passengers in the Region and work towards having a single security check for direct transit passengers on multi-stop intra-Community flights.

The CARICOM heads of government also agreed to "reinforce the operation of our security mechanisms to ensure the integrity of the regime allowing the free movement of CARICOM nationals,

In addition they have decided to "include Agricultural Workers, Beauty Service Practitioners, Barbers and Security Guards to the agreed categories of skilled nationals who are entitled to move freely and seek employment within the Community;

The CARICOM heads have committed to "conduct a special session on Air and Maritime Transportation at the Intersessional meeting of the Conference in February 2019 to focus on this critical aspect of integration as a whole and the CSME in particular."

The following is the full text of the declaration:

ST ANN'S DECLARATION ON CSME

WE, the Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), meeting at Port of Spain Trinidad and Tobago 3-4 December, 2018 on the occasion of the 18th Special Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM;Recalling the 1989 Declaration of Grand Anse which initiated the process towards the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME), the signing of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas in 2001, which established the CSME and the launch of the CSME in 2006;Convinced that the CSME continues to be the most viable platform for supporting growth and development in the Member States of CARICOM;Recognising the need to make it more closely attuned to the needs and priorities of Member States and contributing more visibly to growth and development and to the welfare of the people of the Community;Having reviewed its progress and acknowledged that it should have been further advanced;Having considered the “Report of the Commission to Review Jamaica’s Relations within the CARICOM and CARIFORUM Frameworks”;Having also considered the perspectives of the Member States of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS);Underscoring the critical role of the CARICOM Development Fund (CDF) in supporting the CSME;Having exchanged views with the representatives of the private sector and labour and encouraged by their commitment to the regional integration project and their recommendations for the enhancement of the CSME;Recognising that the goal of our regional integration process is to enhance the well-being of all of the citizens of our Community;

DECLARE:

We are committed to take action at the national level to advance the regional integration agenda;

We are determined to ensure the equitable distribution among the peoples of the Community of the gains realised through the regional integration process;

We have agreed on a formalised, structured mechanism to facilitate dialogue between the Councils of the Community and the private sector and labour;

We have also agreed to amend the Treaty to include as Associate Institutions representative bodies of Private Sector and Labour;

We have agreed that in accordance with Article 50 of the Revised Treaty which deals with the principle of accelerated implementation, that the principle will be applied to any initiative which is consistent with the Revised Treaty;

We agreed that that those Member States so willing would move towards full free movement within the next three (3) years;

We have mandated that steps be taken to deepen cooperation and collaboration between the Secretariats of CARICOM and the OECS to avoid duplication and maximise the utility of scarce resources;

We will reinforce the operation of our security mechanisms to ensure the integrity of the regime allowing the free movement of CARICOM nationals;

We will examine the re-introduction of the single domestic space for passengers in the Region;

We have agreed to work towards having a single security check for direct transit passengers on multi-stop intra-Community flights;

We will conduct a special session on Air and Maritime Transportation at the Intersessional meeting of the Conference in February 2019 to focus on this critical aspect of integration as a whole and the CSME in particular;

We will include Agricultural Workers, Beauty Service Practitioners, Barbers and Security Guards to the agreed categories of skilled nationals who are entitled to move freely and seek employment within the Community;

We reiterate that that a skills certificate issued by one Member State would be recognised by all Member States;

We will complete legislative and other arrangements in all Member States for all categories of Free Movement of Skilled Persons;

We will finalise the regime that permits citizens and companies of the Community to participate in the Public Procurement processes in Member States by the year 2019;

We will take all necessary steps to allow for mutual recognition of companies incorporated in a CARICOM Member State;

We have mandated the Community Council to develop appropriate recommendations on the proposal for the introduction of a regime of sanctions for the consideration of the Conference;

We welcome Haiti’s commitment to full integration into the CSME by 2020;

We have appointed Professor Avinash Persaud to lead a restructured Commission on the Economy to advise Member States on a Growth Agenda for the Community